Welcome to Thursday, New West.

We can already see that it’s getting darker out there, but it’s also that time of year where people in New West know how to brighten things up. Whether it’s beautiful Christmas lights, warm and welcoming events, or gorgeous displays during Shine Bright (yep, it’s returning!) there is no shortage of light in our wonderful city.

🌡 Temperature check

Today: 🌧️ 6°

Friday: 🌧️ 5°

Saturday: 🌧️ 10°

Sunday: 🌧️ 8°

Monday: 🌧️ 9°

7-day forecast

LOCAL NEWS

A new spot to drop off your library books

In case you missed it, a new drop-off point for your New West library books has arrived. If you have books to return, they can now be dropped off at the Anvil Centre in the Downtown core. The box came to the centre amid the closure of Centennial Community Centre. Don’t forget to check the hours of the Anvil Centre before you drop them off!

SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF NEW WEST

Create memories, not garbage

Wrapping gifts with festive paper and decorations can create anticipation and surprise, but it can also make a lot of garbage!

If you can’t reuse your single-use wrapping paper, then try reusable materials for a simple and eco-friendly way to cut down on your wrapping waste. There are also a few ideas to avoid wrapping paper completely.​​

This year, spread the cheer, not the waste. Check out these ideas for re-useable alternatives to traditional holiday wrapping paper, provided by Metro Vancouver.

Not sure where to recycle something? Visit the website to learn more.

📣 Neighbourhood bulletin

🥕 Food bank. As reported by the New West Record, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank won’t be distributing food out of the Olivet Baptist Church next year.

🎄 Join MP Peter Julian & MLA Jennifer Whiteside at their Christmas Open House on Saturday, December 2, at New Westminster Secondary School. RSVP now as spots are limited!*

🎁 The Jumble! The much-loved Holiday Jumble will be happening from Dec. 1-3, 9-10, and 15-17. Find awesome deals and experience the talent of local artists in an intimate, cozy marketplace. Check out the details on the Eighth & Eight Spaces’ page. 

📍 New West goes east. Check out this segment in which Tourism New West made an appearance on CTV’s morning program in Toronto. Executive director Gerardo Corro talked about finding Phillip Fitzpatrick, a contestant on The Price is Right who lost out on a trip to New West during one of the show’s games.

*Sponsored listing

We can’t tell local stories without you! Support community journalism in New West by becoming an Anchor Insider member today.

🗞 In other news

Counterfeit. New West Police are issuing a warning about a counterfeit gold scam after an Uptown resident lost $1,800 to what detectives say were a couple claiming to be wealthy foreigners. Police didn’t say when the incident happened.

Snow prep. City Coun. Daniel Fontaine spoke with BC Today host Michelle Elliot to say that he’d like to see preparations for potential upcoming snowfall—including asking again for a snow summit. This comes nearly a year after the snowstorm that happened around this time last year. (CBC/BC Today)

MAID. The province says it will be building a new clinical space not far from St. Paul’s Hospital so that people can receive medical assistance in dying. St. Paul’s does not allow it. (CTV Vancouver)

Measles. The BC Centre for Disease Control is issuing a warning after a traveller infected with measles passed through YVR Airport on Thursday, Nov. 23. They travelled from Dubai to Vancouver, arriving in BC just after 6am. They left for Calgary a few hours later. (CityNews Vancouver)

Online news act. The federal government and Google have struck a deal in relation to Bill C-18. (CityNews/Canadian Press)

Fatal fire. The coroner’s inquest into the deaths of Dennis James Guay and Mary Ann Garlow will start in January: they were the victims of the Winters Hotel fire in Vancouver. Everyone was initially said to have survived the April 2022 fire; their bodies were found during demolition, nearly two weeks later. (CTV Vancouver)

🤩 Community spotlight

Roqiya Ahmadi

Coordinator for Social Forum Hope, Ahmadi’s goal is to simply help people. “We are giving food…weekly, to…hundreds of families. They will come and get [it] from us,” she explains in a video shared by the New West Chamber of Commerce. “And we have an extra thrift store for them, [we’re] giving extra, free clothing to them.”

This isn’t anything new for Ahmadi and her family, who have always had the mindset to give: their organization has existed since 2016, where the initial goal was to raise funds for orphaned children who have lost loved ones to war. This was eventually expanded to serving the community.

We love playing a role in getting to know local New Westies. There are so many of you doing incredible work out there.

It’s a team effort to be able to do this though, and we need support from the community. Become an Anchor Insider member today so we can keep covering all the cool things New Westies are doing!

🗓️ NEW WEST EVENTS

Today, Nov. 30

• Karaoke night. 7pm. Georgie’s Local.

• Trivia night. 7:30pm. Sapperton District Taphouse.

Friday, Dec. 1

• Winter Wonderland. Opening day. New West Public Library, main branch.

• Holiday Jumble. 2pm. Eighth and Eight spaces. (Massey Theatre)

• Shine Bright opening. 4pm. Fraser River Discovery Centre.

• Uniting generations: culture and decor. 5pm. Century House.

• Wishing Tree lighting ceremony. 5pm. Moody Park.

• NWSS Jazz jam and social. 6:30pm. New West Secondary.

• Dance party. 9pm. Georgie’s Local.

Saturday, Dec. 2

• Christmas Market. 9am. Knox Presbyterian Church.

• Holiday Jumble. 11am. Eighth and Eight spaces. (Massey Theatre)

• Holiday Cheer. Noon. Irving House.

• Pop-up art for kids. 1pm. Kinder Books. (Event is sold out/full)

• Winter Night Market. 3pm. River Market.

• Lighting the Queensborough fire hall. 6pm. Fire Hall No. 3, 1011 Ewen Ave.

• Dance party. 9pm. Georgie’s Local.

Sunday, Dec. 3

• Family storytime. Brought to you by Kinder Books. 9:30am, second floor. River Market.

• Holiday Jumble. 11am. Eighth and Eight spaces. (Massey Theatre)

• Holiday Cheer. Noon. Irving House.

• Christmas Magic with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and Winter Harp. Tickets start at $18. 2:30pm. Massey Theatre.

Monday, Dec. 4

• Poker night. 6:30pm. Sapperton District Taphouse.

• Open mic night. 7pm. Begbie’s.

• Christmas concert. 7pm. The Salvation Army, 325 6th St.

• Trivia night. 8pm. The Terminal Pub.

Tuesday, Dec. 5

• WorkBC workshop. 4pm. Queensborough Community Centre.

• Open mic: standup comedy. 6pm. The Terminal Pub.

• Trivia night. 6:30pm. Kelly O’Bryan’s.

• Open mic night. 7pm. Georgie’s Local.

• Name that tune! 7pm. Hops New West.

Wednesday, Dec. 6

• Leaders Shining Bright. 3:15pm. New West middle schools.

• Trivia night. 7pm. Georgie’s Local. 

Ongoing

• Coats for Kids drive. Presented by Rembrandt Renovations. On until Dec. 6. 8am to 5pm. 222 Churchill Ave.

• Winter Wonderland. Until Dec. 31. New West Public Library.

• MEASURE. On until Dec. 10. New Media Gallery.

• The Marvelous Wonderettes. On until Dec. 17. Thursdays to Saturdays: shows at 8pm. Sunday: shows at 2pm. Tickets required. Bernie Legge theatre, Queen’s Park.

• Winter Solstice. On now until Dec. 21. Gallery hours. The Gallery at Queen’s Park.

• Tangled in Blue. On now until Jan. 24. Centre hours. Anvil Centre community gallery, third floor.

That’s it!

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